Toad Bugs

(Family Galgulidae.)
The odd and ugly little insects of this group have been appropriately termed the "toad-shaped bugs". The short, broad body and the projecting eyes, as well as the dull mottled colors, are toad-like. They are not true water bugs, but live in moist places along the banks of streams and ponds.

Unlike the true water bugs, they have no ocelli, and are in other ways quite different structurally. It is not a large family, and only twenty species are known, of which three inhabit the United States. Galgulus oculatais Fab. is a common species, and its life history should be thoroughly studied.